Ukraine’s western allies have unveiled a series of new sanctions against Russia’s military, industrial capabilities and financial sector, as they promise to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin.
As Ukraine celebrated the first anniversary of the invasion on Friday, the UK and US announced new measures against hundreds of groups and individuals, including Russian banks and defense contractors, while the EU and Japan prepared their own sanctions against Moscow’s war economy.
G7 leaders will hold a virtual summit with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
“We must continue to give Ukraine the means to defend itself until the Russians end this war and leave Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a visit to Estonia.
The White House said US sanctions would target more than 200 companies and individuals from Russia and countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including China.
The measures, which Washington said are aimed at “further weakening Russia’s economy and reducing its ability to wage war against Ukraine,” will involve 12 Russian financial institutions and actors linked to Russian defense groups.
The trade department has also placed nearly 90 companies from Russia, China and other countries on its “entity list” — a blacklist that effectively prevents them from buying US technology for potential use in Russia’s defense sector. The White House said the blacklist would prevent the groups from acquiring semiconductors made with US technology.
The Pentagon announced an additional $2 billion in aid to Ukraine, including unmanned aerial systems, unmanned defense systems, electronic warfare detection devices, and ammunition for artillery and missile systems.
“A year later, Ukraine’s valiant defenders have not wavered, and neither has our pledge to support them for as long as needed,” said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
In other international moves, Britain imposed sanctions on executives at Russia’s state-owned nuclear power plant Rosatom, the country’s two largest defense contractors, and four banks including MTS, which this month were licensed to operate in the United Arab Emirates.
In Brussels on Friday morning, EU ambassadors tried to finalize the bloc’s 10th round of sanctions against Russia, a package said to include restrictions on the export of electronic components used in Russian systems such as drones, missiles and helicopters.
The EU also wants to ban the transit of goods and technology via Russia that could be adapted for military use, as part of an attempted crackdown on sanctions evasion.
Japan is also preparing a new package of sanctions against Moscow, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters ahead of the virtual G7 summit.
“To stop Russia’s invasion, it is important for the G7. . . to confirm at today’s conference that we will continue to maintain and strengthen sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine,” Kishida said, without giving details of the additional measures Japan is preparing.
The White House said G7 leaders would create an “enforcement coordination mechanism” to keep up the pressure on Russia as long as it continues its military operation in Ukraine.
Recommended
The mechanism aims to ensure that Russia pays for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. The White House said the G7 would “immobilize” Russia’s sovereign assets until there was a resolution to the conflict that addressed “violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity.”
Russian banks targeted by the US Treasury include Credit Bank of Moscow, Lanta Bank, Metallurgical Investment Bank, MTS Bank, Novosibirsk Social Commercial Bank and Bank Saint Petersburg, also controlled by the United Kingdom have been sanctioned.
The other targets were Bank Primorye, SDM Bank, Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also under UK and Canadian sanctions. In addition, the Treasury met Bank Uralsib and Bank Zenit Public, both of which were sanctioned by the UK on Friday.
The Treasury imposed sanctions on companies in Russia’s metals and mining sector, including Burevestnik Central Scientific Research Institute, a Russian arms and artillery maker, and OOO Metallurg-Tulamash, a steelmaker that the US says makes weapons for the Russian Navy.
“As the Ukrainian people continue to valiantly defend their homeland and freedom, the United States is proud to support Ukraine through economic, security and humanitarian assistance,” said US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “Our actions today with our G7 partners show that we will stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
Additional reporting from Felicia Schwartz in Washington, Kana Inagaki in Tokyo and Maxine Kelly in London